Predating the Charlton "Action Heroes" line, Son of Vulcan is not properly part of that group.

In 2005, DC published a new Son of Vulcan miniseries whose title character and series premise was unrelated to the original.

The original Charlton character was Johnny Mann, a scrawny but courageous reporter for an international news syndicate who had lost a leg while serving during the Korean War.

In the end, bonding with the orphaned newsman over their similar disabilities, Vulcan agreed to adopt Johnny and share with him god-like powers that would help him fight injustice in the mortal world.

As the Son of Vulcan, Johnny had several adventures where he battled both a jealous Mars and the Asian arch-criminal Dr. Kong (the so-called "meanest man alive" who resembled a cross between Fu Manchu and Dracula) but remained a little-known hero.

A relatively unknown hero named Vulcan tells Mikey to free the other hostages while he battles the Floronic Man.

Son of Vulcan was left badly injured, seemingly dead at the end of the Titans East one-shot.